1. Your ladder gets you off the ground, and you should return the favor. Any ladder lasts longer when stored on its side, with ladder hooks at each third of its length. Avoid rot and corrosion by keeping ladder feet up in the air.
2. Ladder pivots don't spin anything. They're a trustworthy wedge you place under one foot of your ladder when the ground is uneven. They won't slip out like other found objects, which is especially comforting when you're thirty feet up.
3. It's hard to paint a wall that you're leaning on. Ladder stabilizers make you feel more secure, and they lift the ladder away from the wall a few inches, giving you room to work comfortably. They're usually wide enough to fit across that window you're washing, going around it instead of through it.
4. You don't want to scratch up a wall while you're trying to work on it. Soften sharp ladder tops with cushy ladder mitts that slip over the upper end. Mitts protect your wall and help keep your ladder from sliding.
5. It's good to hang your ladder, but avoid using nails. They're not meant to carry a side load, and it's easy to bump your ladder off a nail, which is usually in your garage, which is usually next to your expensive car. Besides, they're sharp. Ladder hooks are far more secure, with padded orange caps to to protect your ladder and you.
6. Once you use a ladder project tray or tool organizer pouch, you'll never carry tools in your teeth again. Hang one on any convenient rung, and it stays up even when you need to come down for a break.
7. What's up, Jack? Set up two ladders, and a triangular ladder jack attached to each will hold a plank of wood between them. Instant scaffold that you can walk on. Not the safest option, so use with care.
8. A ladder scoop is like an extra pair of arms to help you carry a load up a ladder. Move it up a rung where it latches, then move yourself safely with free hands. Repeat. No more circus moves as you try to climb one-handed, or worse.
9. Never set your ladder on anything that can move, like wood or tarps. For extra security, use a ladder stop. It wedges under the feet and helps hold them in place.
10. Unless you're into slapstick, the last thing you want is a can of paint balanced overhead. Paint can shelf extensions and paint can hooks keep your paint secured in a safe place, always within easy reach.
11. It's unlucky to walk under a ladder. It's a few steps out of your way, but go around. Ladder nets hang from the rungs to block the path of unsuspecting people so they don't meet their doom. (Okay, we made that one up.)
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